New Year's Eve
by butterflybaby91
Summary: The uprising was successful and now it's almost 1836. Eponine and Enjolras run into each other at a party. One-shot.


**This is a random drabble I wrote around New Year's and forgot about. I just found it and edited it and figured I would post it:**

The wind whistled through the trees on that dark and cold New Year's Eve, as she stood on the front porch waiting to be let in. Cosette was taking forever and Eponine was freezing. She knocked at the town house's door again hoping Cosette would hurry up. As she raised her hand to knock a third time, the door was opened and to her surprise, Marius appeared on the other side of the door, grinning at her.

Eponine smiled back. _Of course Marius is here,_ she thought, _Cosette and Marius are engaged after all_. She had long gotten over her feelings for Marius. It had happened rather suddenly and surprisingly after Marius had met Cosette—one look at the two together and Eponine began to understand how what she had felt for Marius had been rather childish feelings of love and not real love. It had more been a case of being infatuated with the first person who had ever shown her kindness.

As the living situation for many people in France had begun to improve after the successful revolution in 1832, Eponine's position in life had drastically improved. She had a modest flat and she made her income respectably as a seamstress. In the years since the uprising, she had become accustomed to having a place to sleep at night, a full stomach, and warm clothing. It was now the end of 1835 and the world had become so much lighter and more hopeful to Eponine Thenardier. In this more hopeful world, Marius had long ceased to be the end all be all for her. Eponine stepped into Cosette's townhouse, hugging both Marius and Cosette, who had appeared, as she entered.

"How are you both?" Eponine inquired to Marius and Cosette. It had been several weeks since they had seen each other, all of them having been busy with their lives.

"We've been well," Cosette smiled, taking Marius' arm as she answered, "Come on, everyone else is in the parlor." Eponine followed Cosette and Marius as they made their way down the short hallway that opened into Cosette's strikingly decorated parlor. There was an inviting fire warming the room and warding off the chill from outside. Next to the fire was a round table laden with a massive assortment of pastries. Eponine was sure she had never seen so much rich food in her life. There were numerous comfortable looking chairs around the room, which was draped in luxurious brocade curtains and padded with a thick Persian rug.

As Eponine was briefly surveying the room, she noticed that it was already quite full with numerous men she recognized as former members of the Le Amis de ABC—men who had participated in the 1832 uprising—men she had not seen in years as she had mostly just kept in touch with Marius, Cosette, and Grantaire, after the boys had stopped meeting regularly in the old café.

She turned and noticed the drunk lounging on a settee talking to a dark haired man. As she studied the man speaking with Grantaire, Eponine's breath caught in her throat and her cheeks flushed as he turned to meet her stare. _Enjolras,_ she thought and she met his gaze and gave him a shy smile, before quickly turning to listen to whatever Marius was saying to Cosette.

She had not seen Enjolras since directly after the uprising. She was suddenly bashful at the idea of going over and talking to him. Once she had gotten over Marius, she had briefly turned her thoughts to the idea of Enjolras. She had gotten to know him as she had helped the men plan their uprising and Eponine had realized, too late, that Enjolras was quite a fine man. He had fought passionately for freedom for all the people of France, even though it had hurt his own socio-economic status. He was caring and loyal. He had helped save her when she had been hurt in the initial skirmishes upon the barricade. She had never forgotten the frightened look he gave her as he had pulled her bleeding body out of Marius' arms and rushed her toward the makeshift hospital. He had placed her on a table and called Joly to attend to her, all the while gently stroking her hair from where it kept falling in her face, tenderly holding her hand, and repeating that she was going to be okay. Once Joly appeared, Enjolras had left to go continue fighting with his compatriots, but after the fight was done and Eponine was on the mend, she had seen him looking at her with a relief that she did not understand. They had spoken frequently prior to the uprising, as Enjolras had requested Eponine's help in ensuring that the people, her people, would be willing to fight alongside the school boys for their own freedom and Eponine had frequently taken Enjolras down to the slums to help him rally the masses. It had paid off in the end, when the people rose against their tyrant governments and overthrew the shackles of oppression. So Eponine had just tried to write the relief on his face off as relief that she had helped the Amis avoid a massacre. Deep down though, Eponine knew there was something more to that look he had given her. After the uprising, Enjolras had become immensely involved in the forming of a new governing system, and Eponine had been focused on piecing her life back together and their paths had not crossed. Now here he was across the room from her.

As Eponine gathered the courage to sneak a look at Enjolras over her shoulder, she saw him looking at her too. His eye's bored into hers with that same look of immense relief—like he was so happy she was here. When he caught her looking back at him he gave her a genuine smile and then broke their gaze, turning back to his conversation with Grantaire. Eponine turned back to face Cosette and Marius, trying her best to figure out what they were talking about, but after a while she realized it was a hopeless cause and decided to give into her desire to speak with Enjolras. She excused herself from Marius and Cosette and turned toward where Enjolras was sitting. As she did, she caught him staring at her again. Looking him in the eye, Eponine smiled and made her way to his side.

"Hi Enjolras," she murmured walking up to him and lightly touching his arm, "how are you?"

"Eponine," Enjolras breathed, giving her a wide smile and getting up to give her a hug. As his arm wrapped around her waist, Eponine could not help but smile and reciprocate the hug, entwining her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her, inhaling the sweet, manly smell that was Enjolras. He had one arm around her waist and the other higher up on her back lightly stroking her hair and she noticed his head duck down as he briefly pressed his nose to the top of her head. Their embrace lasted several moments longer than it probably should have, but to Eponine it had not gone on nearly long enough, when Enjolras pulled away.

"I've been good-very, very busy as always," Enjolras laughed, responding to her question, "Come sit," he gestured to the chair that Grantaire had been sitting in, but had abandoned as Eponine had walked up, "It's been far too long Eponine."

She smiled remorsefully at him as she sat down, "Yes it has. What has it been, really two and a half years since we last saw each other? We live in the same city! How did we ever allow ourselves to lose touch?"

"Yes it's very regrettable. We cannot allow that to happen again. I've missed how we use to talk so frequently, when you were assisting us in planning the uprising." Eponine found as she met Enjolras' intense stare, his eyes deeply penetrating hers and his eyes were filled with some unidentifiable emotion.

"I've missed that too," Eponine replied quietly, finally dropping her gaze. When she looked up again Enjolras was smiling sweetly at her.

The pair spent the next several hours catching up. They spoke of everything that they had each been doing with their lives since the uprising. They spoke of what their goals and future plans were. They virtually ignored everyone else in the room. For Enjolras and Eponine renewing their friendships became the only objective of the party. When the bells of Notre Dame chimed that it was 11:30 P.M. Enjolras looked at Eponine and said, "I for one could use some fresh air, before the New Year, would you like to take a walk?"

Eponine replied in the affirmative, "Let me get my coat." They both stood up and went to get their outerwear. Eponine met Enjolras where he was standing waiting for her by the front door. They were both now completely bundled up with gloves, hats, scarves, and coats ready to brave the Paris winter chill. Enjolras held the door open for Eponine as the pair quietly shuffled out into the snow.

_How could I have been so blind as to not see him this way before?_ Eponine thought, watching Enjolras out of the corner of her eye as they made their way down the street. _He looks as nervous as I feel_. Eponine was unsure why he had asked her to take a walk with him and she was not completely sure what he was thinking or feeling; but she knew what she was. She was remembering all those days where the two had sat together discussing Enjolras' plans for the uprising. Eponine had always been quick to give her input and to offer assistance. She realized now just how much she had enjoyed those afternoons where they would venture together to the slums to meet with the people and help get them on the side of the Amis. She missed just being and talking with Enjolras. She hoped he felt the same way.

Enjolras cleared his throat, "I've missed you these past years," he began.

She nodded—he had said that earlier. Enjolras continued, "But I haven't just missed you as my friend Eponine." At this point they had stopped walking and had turned toward each other, but were both looking at the ground. "I think about you, frequently, since the uprising. At first I couldn't figure out why. I was getting distracted by the thought of you and wishing I could see you just one more time, and when I realized why I couldn't figure out what I should do, so I managed to convince myself that everything I was thinking and feeling was all one sided and all in my head and that I should never act on these, these feelings." At this point Eponine looked up at Enjolras, in wonder at what he was saying as he continued, "When I found out from Marius that you were going to be here tonight, all these feelings that I had repressed came rushing back. I still kept trying to talk myself out of acting on them, but the minute you walked in the door I knew. Eponine," he looked her in the eye as he said her name, "I believe I have been in love with you since before the uprising all those years ago. Talking with you tonight, seeing you, hearing your laugh—it just brought it all rushing back. If I have to go one more day after tonight without seeing you, well, I don't want to say I wouldn't survive, but I don't think I could repress these feelings again. I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you for three more years." As he finished talking, Enjolras reached down and took Eponine's hand, smiling timidly at her.

She returned his smile before speaking. "You know, I was desperately in love with Marius prior to the uprising—or so I thought—but I did cherish our time together and our friendship like no other. After the uprising once I realized that Marius belonged with Cosette and that I had really just been infatuated with him, I started thinking about you. A lot. I realized how blind I had been, because you were the one that saw me for who I actually was. You were the one who was so dedicated to a cause. You were so kind and caring toward everyone, even when you didn't have to be." Eponine paused, squeezed Enjolras' head and took a step closer to him before she continued, "When I saw you across the room tonight, my heart skipped a beat and I knew too. I've loved you all these years as well." Eponine finished her little speech and smiled up at him.

Enjolras opened his mouth to reply, but as he did bells around the city started to chime that it was midnight and now officially 1836. Enjolras' open mouth morphed into a wide grin, "Happy New Year Eponine," he said as he closed the distance between them and placed a hand on her cheek.

Eponine leaned into his touch, "Happy New Year Enjolras," she smiled at him again, as he leaned down and timidly pressed his lips to hers. He let go of her hand that he was holding and moved it to her waist, trying to pull her even closer to him. The hand that was on her cheek, slipped around the back of her head as he knotted his fingers in her hair. Eponine ran her hands up his chest and around his neck locking them in place and also attempting to get closer to him. Enjolras deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along her bottom lip as she slightly opened her mouth to allow his entry. They stood there in the dark and snow happily kissing away the first few minutes of the New Year.


End file.
